More than anything

Saoirse drops the ball onto the sand and kicks it forward. It doesn't roll well in the softer sand outside of the water's reach, but she goes with it anyway. She kicks it towards Jordan — some of their practices have just been kicking the ball to each other, or learning how to dribble, and Saoirse is getting good at both. The harder lesson for her to learn is to avoid getting hit by the bigger kids. They knock her down a lot, with body checks and when they stick their ankles in front of her. But she's tough, she can be okay.

Cu woofs and bounds after her, circling around the girls and leading Marvin on a merry chase as well.